2001 Environmental Excellence Awards

Excellence in Vegetation Management

Collecting data for a GIS dataset of problem locations and manually removing non-native species such as this Purple Loosestrife

New York State Department of Transportation Adirondack Nature Conservancy Adirondack Park Agency New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Adirondack Park is the largest public and private land reserve in the eastern United States and it serves as an important ecological and recreational resource for our country. The spread of invasive, non-native plant species is one of the greatest threats to the natural plant communities of the Adirondack Park. The interconnected nature of transportation systems and associated construction and maintenance activities have often contributed inadvertently to the spread of these plant species. For these reasons, these agencies and local volunteers have joined to inventory and monitor invasive plant species in the Adirondack Park in an effort to develop a management plan, control methods, and a Best Management Practices Guide for the transportation department. At working group meetings, this team has identified and prioritized problem species and determined the best control methods for high priority species, depending on the degree of infestation. The combined efforts of these agencies and concerned citizens serve as a front-runner to address the impacts of transportation on the spread of invasive, non-native species and help to maintain the ecological integrity both inside and outside of Adirondack Park.

This project has been a cooperative effort between agencies, including NYSDOT, NYSDEC, AmeriCorps, Nature Conservatory, and the Adirondack Park Agency.

Project Contributors

New York State Department of Transportation, Region 2 Edward H. Frantz

New York State Department of Transportation, Region 7 John M. Falge

Adirondack Nature Conservancy Nina Schoch Bill Brown

Adirondack Park Agency Daniel M. Spada

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Region 5 Kenneth L. Kogut